So CES has ended over a week ago, but somehow we missed Monoprice. While they are known for cheap cables that are also good and reliable, the retailer has been pushing out some interesting, self-branded products. At this year's CES, they advertised a multi-touch pen display, a cheap 4K 60Hz monitor, a 30-inch IPS panel that is guaranteed to work at 120Hz 1600p (16:10), and an RGB-backlit mechanical keyboard.

First up is their 22-inch multi-touch pen display. Not too long ago, I noticed that they had a 22-inch pen display without a touch screen, similar to my Wacom Cintiq 22HD, for under $600. Of course, this got me looking at its product page because that is significantly cheaper than what I paid for mine -- like, several times cheaper. In that page was a warning that it was not suitable for multi-monitor setups, and suggested that users clone it (rather than extending their desktop). Yikes. Okay. That's problematic.

Well now it no longer has that warning, and neither does their new, higher-end version with built-in multi-touch. Hopefully this means that they sorted out their driver (or configuration) issues under Windows.

The display itself is a 22-inch, 1080p, IPS panel with 16.7 million colors (so not 10-bit). It has a 5ms response time, which is good for IPS, but no listing of sRGB or AdobeRGB coverage. This could be problematic for someone looking to use it for professional applications, but being an IPS display it might be okay.

Also launched is a 28-inch 4K display for $449. They do not state the panel technology, but with a reduced vertical viewing angle, which is bad, and a 1ms response time, which is good, it pretty much must be TN. It is a bit sad that it is not IPS, IGZO, PLS, or another high-end panel type, but it is also $449.

Keeping on the topic of displays, Anandtech was shown a 30-inch, 1600p panel that is guaranteed to run at 120Hz. While we are starting to see a few high refresh rate IPS panels pop up this year, it was the domain of display overclockers before then. Enthusiasts would purchase monitors that were shipped directly from smaller South Korean manufacturers (who typically purchase lesser-binned panels from LG, and so forth) and cross their fingers when they give it a higher refresh rate. This one is guaranteed by Monoprice to run at 120Hz, but it does not yet have pricing and availability.

Lastly, Anandtech also saw a mechanical keyboard with programmable RGB backlighting. It uses Kailh RGB switches, which are based on the Cherry MX design after the patents expired. Again, no pricing or availability on this one.

The ASUS PQ321Q was the first 4K 60 Hz screen that we had experience with back in 2013 but it had a couple of hiccups. First and most importantly, the monitor was an MST display that required a pair of inputs to function at the full 60 Hz refresh rate. It was initially very complicated (though it has been worked out for a while) and required specific drivers and hardware configurations. It was also expensive at the time of launch, hitting as much as $3500 in most regions.

At CES 2015, ASUS has announced the successor to that panel, the PA328Q, a ProArt series display that has better image quality, a better user experience and a much lower starting price.

Available in Q2 for around $1400, the PA328Q is a 32-in 4K 60 Hz monitor that supports full refresh rate in a single stream from either DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0. The true beauty is in the panel itself, using in-plane switching technology for incredible viewing angles and bright, high contrast images. It comes pre-calibrated out of the box:

Designed for photographers, video producers and graphics professionals, PA328Q is factory pre-calibrated to give outstanding industry-leading color accuracy (∆E ≤ 2), with a wide color gamut of 100% sRGB and Rec. 709 color space support — the latter being the standard HDTV format for video production and editing.

PA328Q uses a 12-bit internal lookup table (LUT) and supports gamma values of 2.4, 2.2, and 1.8 to enhance color accuracy, smoother color gradations and a more natural transition between hues. PA328Q has a color uniformity ranging between 91-103%, solving common problems like fluctuations in brightness and chroma on different parts of the screen to give accurate and consistent onscreen colors.

The stand looks great, the bezel around the panel is very thin, it has a reasonable price for a professional quality IPS 60 Hz screen - these are all items that leave us eager for more time with it in an upcoming review.

The 27-inch LED-backlit display features NVIDIA G-SYNC technology to synchronizes its refresh rates to the computer’s graphics-processing unit (GPU), eliminating screen tearing and minimizing stutter and input lag to deliver the smoothest gaming experience possible. The Swift PG27AQ also includes a five-way navigation joystick to navigate the on-screen display (why not, it’s a gaming monitor after all). The monitor stand features full tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustment, as well as a “smart cable-management system”.

The panel has a 1000:1 contrast ratio (without dynamic numbers in the millions this might look unimpressive, but it is typical for the native contrast on IPS) and 300 cd/m² brightness. The design also features a “super narrow” bezel which looks cool, but also makes multi-monitor setups more seamless (naturally you’ll want to buy at least two, right?).

ASUS is showing the 27-inch MG279Q monitor at this year’s CES, and this display features the vaunted in-plane switching (IPS) technology and a 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution.

Even more impressive, this panel offers frame rates of 120Hz with a 5ms grey-to-grey (GTG) response time according to ASUS. Additionally, the display features a narrow bezel, the ASUS-exclusive navigation joystick for the on-screen display (OSD), and their dedicated “GamePlus” hotkey which “displays a customizable crosshair and timer overlap for enhanced combat”. The stand is also built with full tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustment, cable management, and is VESA wall-mountable.

While officially only listing a generic "DisplayPort" input, we have learned this supports DP 1.2a Plus. What does this mean? At least on paper that would indicate that this monitor could offer AdaptiveSync / FreeSync support. We could also pretty safely assume that a WQHD monitor without G-SYNC will be priced considerably lower than an ROG Swift. It's all very interesting...

Sure, the ASUS press conference hasn't started yet, but we did find a new monitor on display in the lobby. The ASUS PG27AQ is a 27-in monitor with a 4K resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate. Even better is that this is an IPS panel and utilizes NVIDIA G-Sync technology. That's right, a real-life IPS G-Sync monitor!

I don't have many other details yet but I was told that pricing is not set and availability would be in the "second half of 2015." The physical construction is identical to that of the ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q. Unfortunately ASUS was only playing back a 4K video on the system, no real-world G-Sync testing quite yet. The ASUS press event starts in just about 45 minutes so stay tuned!

Philips is showing a new 34-inch, 21:9 monitor at this year's CES, and the ultra-wide monitor will feature a curved IPS panel with 3440x1440 resolution.

The BDM3490UC monitor has a 60 Hz IPS panel with a native response time of 14 ms, though this can be adjusted down to 5 ms using the "SmartResponse" control. This model also features MultiView technology which enables two active connections to be used simultaneously, allowing multiple devices to share the screen.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show, Lenovo announced updates and new additions to its Think-branded products aimed at business customers. New ThinkPad PCs, ThinkVision displays, and stackable ThinkPad accessories are launching early this year.

ThinkVision X24

Lenovo is also expanding its line of professional displays with the ThinkVision X24. This monitor is a slim full HD display with a thin bezel aimed at business users desiring single or dual monitor setups. The ThinkVision X24 is a 23.6" Neo-Blade IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080. Lenovo used pre-coated metal (PCM) for the rear panel to get the monitor to as thin as 7.5mm. The chrome stand supports tilt adjustments but not swivel or height.

The ThinkVision X24 supports HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, 7ms response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 250cd/m^2 brightness, and 178-degree viewing angles. The left and right bezels are extremely thin to allow for favorable dual monitor setups. The ThinkVision X24 provides a new budget option ($249) for the ThinkVision family.

Today Acer has announced two new gaming monitors with "world first" designs. First we have the XB270HU, which is the world’s first NVIDIA G-SYNC gaming monitor with an IPS panel. This is a big step for a category that has predominantly featured TN panels, though it was not stated what the response time of the IPS panel in use might be. We can expect 178° viewing angles and that nice IPS color accuracy, however. The XB270HU also features tilt, swivel, and height adjustment.

Next is the Acer XG270HU (yes, this is a different model name), which Acer says is "the world's first gaming monitor with an edge-to-edge frameless display", which would allow for gapless multi-monitor setups. This one does not feature IPS, but it has the advantage of a 1 ms response time. Inputs will include HDMI 2.0, DVI, and DisplayPort 1.2. The other added feature of the XG270HU is Acer "EyeProtect technology", which "eliminates screen flicker through a stable supply of power", as well as proprietary non-glare and screen dimming features. Both XB270HU and XG270HU monitors have 27-inch displays with WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution and 144Hz refresh rates.

We have been teased for the past few months about when we would see the first implementations of AMD’s FreeSync technology, but now we finally have some concrete news about who will actually be producing these products.

Samsung has announced that they will be introducing the world’s first FreeSync enabled Ultra HD monitors. The first models to include this feature will be the updated UD590 and the new UE850. These will be introduced to the market in March of 2015. The current UD590 monitor is a 28” unit with 3845x2160 resolution with up to 1 billion colors. This looks to be one of those advanced TN panels that are selling from $500 to $900, depending on the model.

AMD had promised some hand’s on time for journalists by the end of this year, and shipping products in the first half of next year. It seems that Samsung is the first to jump on the wagon. We would imagine that others will be offering the technology. In theory this technology offers many of the same benefits of NVIDIA’s G-SYNC, but it does not require the same level of hardware. I can imagine that we will be seeing some interesting comparisons next year with shipping hardware and how Free-Sync stacks up to G-SYNC.

Joe Chan, Vice President of Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia Headquarters commented, “We are very pleased to adopt AMD FreeSync technology to our 2015 Samsung Electronics Visual Display division’s UHD monitor roadmap, which fully supports open standards. With this technology, we believe users including gamers will be able to enjoy their videos and games to be played with smoother frame display without stuttering or tearing on their monitors.”

Philips has announced what they are calling the worlds first "virtually seamless" two-in-one monitor.

The Philips Two-in-One monitor proudly showing Computex gold (though not as prestigious as the PC Perspective gold award, of course...)

The 19DP6QJNS (love those model names, don't you?) is comprised of two separate 19" IPS displays on a single mount, and the ultra-thin 3.5mm bezels allow for the that "virtual" seamlessness.

The announcement does not include screen resolution, and from the images the screens don't appear at least to be the usual 16:9 aspect ratio. Even without all of the details there is a clear advantage to a design with a reduced footprint. It's just a more, well, seemless (there's that word again) dual-monitor setup. Each display has its own video inputs, though they are different. The first display has a DisplayPort and VGA input, and the second has a VGA input and MHL-enabled HDMI input. The monitors can tilt up to 22 degrees, and each screen also has a pair of USB ports.

So about the resolution... Philips states that this new product is "ideal for designers using 3D graphics or requiring extremely detailed information for CAD-CAM solutions," so one wouldn't be faulted for assuming a higher resolution panel here, but we will have to see. This is certainly a niche product, but anyone who has grown accustomed to a dual monitor setup will probably tell you they are more productive (and would never willingly go back). If this is reasonably priced, two IPS screens on a single stand would be a really attractive proposition.

The Philips 19DP6QJNS will be available fall 2014, and no pricing information yet.